That Butler The Last Minutes Together
by arienrhod
Summary: That time has come. The time of payment. The enemies were defeated and the deal fulfilled. It's finally time to give your soul to your personal demon. But what if this demon doesn't want it? And what will happen two years after their last meeting?
1. The last minutes together

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

That is first fic I have ever wrote in English (which isn't my first language, even not my second, I can barely communicate properly using it) so be gentle. Te-hee, you thought I'll say that XD Well, honestly speaking, I would be INSANELY grateful for pointing any grammar or spelling mistakes you could find. Punctuation in English isn't my strong point either, so... you know. Lecture me and yell at me all you want. I would be really, I mean REALLY, grateful for telling me what I do wrong. So I could correct it. Please reduce time in which I will be humiliated by my wrongness to the minimum.

**DISCLAIMER: **

I do not own, blah blah... You know what I mean.

**EDIT**: Thanks to **askani** it's no longer so horrible like it was before she helped me. Thank you asnkani, thank you so much :D

____________________________________________________________

**That Butler - The Last Minutes Together**

At last that day had come. The day of payment. The end of his small world which he built with such effort and difficulty. The end of everything.

"Are they all dead, Sebastian?" Ciel asked, looking at ruins of the mansion his enemies were residing in.

"Yes, My Lord" answered his loyal butler.

Ciel turned his back on the sight. He wasn't interested in it anymore. What had to be done was done. What remained was no longer important.

"Burn it all."

"Yes, My Lord."

Still he listened to the sound of raging fire as it crackled and hissed, devouring everything.

Like he soon would be devoured.

The Young Earl shivered at the thought and clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. No. He cannot be scared. He cannot waver. No one, even devils in Hell, would be able to say that The Earl of Phantomhive doesn't keep his word.

He was prepared for this all along. He knew it would happen. And he had agreed.

Ciel, the last Earl of Phantomhive, cleared his throat, taking a deep breath and said "Well, Sebastian, isn't it time?"

"For what, My Lord?" asked Sebastian teasingly. Ciel's lips curved slightly with a pale parody of a smile. So it'll be like that?

Their last final game.

Ciel slowly lifted his gaze. He looked at the demon standing in front of him. Long slender legs. Gloved palms with long fingers, which could be so gentle or so cruel, depending on the situation and his demon's mood. Strong broad shoulders. Blue-black hair which felt so silky and so good to the touch. That face, so familiar, so beautiful, decorated by that characteristic smirk.

And the eyes.

"It seems our deal was fulfilled."

"So it seems" Sebastian wasn't helping much. Honestly, he wasn't helping him at all. Playing fool to the end. That is just so cruel of you, Sebastian, Ciel thought, feeling a familiar thrill fill his body, despite the situation.

It wasn't a bad feeling, though. The familiar one, yes. Dying without it would be just so extremely... boring.

"I suppose you should take it then. My soul I mean."

Ciel watched as Sebastian parted his lips, sliding his tongue out and tracing his lips in a slow glide. That made him shiver again, mesmerising him. It took effort to recover from the sight. And then Ciel remembered something.

"I suppose I don't have the right to give you orders anymore. I would like to ask you something, though."

" Oya? And what could that be, My Lord?"

"Could you please not damage my body too much? I assume there will be a _body_."

"There will be."

"Well, in that case... I don't want Elisabeth and those four to get upset. So could you please kill me cleanly? Maybe stranglation or something along those lines. I would be grateful" said Ciel with an indifferent voice, like he was just discussing the weather.

Sebastian blinked. Or perhaps Ciel had just imagined it. Yes. For certain. Demon's couldn't be surprised, could they?

"But that would be long and painful. Wouldn't you prefer a quicker method? I could stab you in the heart or brain, for example."

"But there would be blood. And I could stand a _little_ pain, you know."

"If I strangle you, your face isn't going to look very pretty either. You have seen strangled bodies before."

"Huh, that's a problem... I know. You'll break my neck. Simple, clean and painless. Or so I hope."

Sebastian stared at him for a moment. That child... no, that young _human_...

"You never fail to amaze me."

This time it was Ciel's turn to blink with surprise.

"And what exactly is so amazing?"

"You're going to die in a minute and you're just calmly talking over the details of your own death. I've never met a human like you, not once in my life. And it's been a really, really long one."

"Hmph. Isn't it common to make up one's will before dying?"

Sebastian chuckled.

"We aren't talking about your last will, you had it prepared years ago" he teased. "But, well, lets go back to the subject at hand..."

"Yes, indeed, I..." Ciel opened his mouth to say something and hesitated. He lowered his eyes.

"I... I have one more request."

He wasn't used to pleading. Especially when it was Sebastian on the receiving end of his plea.

"Which is...?"

"Could... would you take my body back to the mansion and organise my... funeral? Contact Undertaker for that... Please don't leave him alone with my body, and make sure he doesn't do anything strange to it. About our so-called stuff members... I would rather prefer you avoid those four but things must be explained properly. Just tell them something believable. And leave quickly. Reduce the fuss to the minimum. That is all. Would you... could you do that for me?"

Ciel kept his eyes lowered and didn't see the expression in Sebastian's eyes. He would call it strange if he could see it. Really, really strange one.

"Yes... My Lord."

Ciel remained silent for a while. Finally he swallowed hard, took a deep breath and looked his demon straight in the eyes.

"Shall we begin then?"

And he took a step forward.

Giving his now ex-butler last long look, Ciel took Sebastian's gloved hands into his and tried placing them on his own neck. Sebastian took them away and quickly removed the gloves with his sharp teeth. Ciel was surprised and almost startled at that motion, watching it with something close to smile on his face.

"With your bare hands, Sebastian? I wasn't expecting that. Aren't you afraid you'll get your hands dirty?" Ciel asked, fascination mixed with bemusement.

"I'm not. Touching you never dirtied my hands" Sebastian smiled at his little master, seeing a faint blush spreading across his face in his embarrassment . "This time it won't either."

It wasn't long before Ciel could feel a light touch on his neck. It was barely noticeable, like a feather or butterfly wings, almost tickling. He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, feeling peaceful but at the same time also ecstatic, like he had never felt before. Should he feel like this? He was quite sure he shouldn't. He was going to die after all. Even more – he was going to be _eaten_. He should be scared, he should quiver and weep, he was so young, all those precious, bright years of life waiting for him. Of course he was a little sad. Or should he say, he was full of sadness. That was permanent sadness, it was with him since that memorable day his parents were killed. He was used to it. He definitely wasn't used to this other feelings. They were so unfamiliar. When was the last time he felt peaceful? Where did that strange emotion come from?

He had fulfilled his goal. Finally.

The hands on his neck begin to tighten, so slowly it was barely noticeable.

Soon.

And Ciel Phantomhive opened his mismatched eyes. And he _smiled_.

"Sebastian, I'm glad I got to know you. Thank you for everything. Farewell."

He closed his eyes again, his face looking almost blissful. He gave in completely.

Demon's hands stopped. Ciel felt them and enjoyed the feeling. They were cold but not icy, soft and gentle. The hands he knew so well.

Later he would regret that he had closed his eyes a that very last moment. He had missed the opportunity to see the expression on his ex-butler's face.

The hands tightened a bit more. And stopped again.

And then, like a butterfly flying away, they were gone.

Ciel opened his eyes with surprise.

He was alone.


	2. Naivety of a demon

**A/N**

I seriously thought it was complete, but after reading **inmemoryoftheMasterRapper **fic "Lacrimosa" I just couldn't stop myself. It's unbetted so if you spot any errors (I suspect there would be _plenty_ of them...) you know what to do ^_^.

**2. Naivety of a demon**

He'd thought it would be easy. Yes, in his naivety he actually had thought it would be _easy_. After all he'd waited for so long, so very long. He'd _wanted_ this so much. He'd _craved_ for this moment. He was so damn _hungry_.

Oh, what a surprise.

The moment had came. It was perfect. Everything he'd been daydreaming of every sleepless night (because demons rarely sleep, and even when they do, they never dream) was finally happening. Oh, so perfect.

So damn perfect that, for the first time in his long life, he felt like crying. Was this what they call happiness? Or was it the opposite?

He wasn't sure.

"Yes...My Lord" he stuttered out through tightened throat.

Was this their last conversation ever? Did he just had heard his master's final worlds? No, it can't be. Not yet.

A little more. A little _longer_.

"Shall we begin then?" when he was thinking "_not yet_" the human asked, with the straight face and clear, azure blue eyes which every time remained him of the sky and heaven. Yes, there is heaven, no matter what anyone says. He was a demon but he still remembered heaven. For him it was azure blue.

What a fitting name that human has.

It was strange. The boy wasn't resisting. All his previous... victims (he never thought of them as masters) had been resisting. They had been crying, screaming, begging. So undignified. So disgusting. So _human_. But his current master wasn't crying nor begging. Even when he'd asked for arranging his funeral, he'd looked embarrassed and almost angry, not wanting to sink so low as to _beg_. And now he himself took the demon's hands and placed them on his own neck, so slim, so fragile. One twist of fingers and it'll all be over. One little human ceased to exist. Who would care?

Yes, who would? There is so few humans who care for his master. As unsocial as he is. His servants, one annoying Indian prince, his so-called fiancé. They're all mere humans, they'll live on and forget.

Will he ever be able to forget? Did he even want to?

He took off his gloves and placed his bare fingers on the throat of his master again. Forgetting his voice, his eyes, his smell, was it even possible? He wasn't sure. But to set him free, to let slip such an opportunity, such delicious prey... To let go of this exclusive possession of his, after proving that that soul belonged entirely and solely to him... For someone else to have him... He won't let that happen. Never.

Yes, this is the solution.

He began to tighten the grip on boy's neck.

And then it happened. Brief moment, sudden and unexpected turn of events that changed everything.

That damned human _smiled_.

"Sebastian, I'm glad I got to know you. Thank you for everything. Farewell."

In that exact second the demon knew everything had gone wrong, from the beginning of his cursed life to this moment. Wrong. Everything. One big mistake. He was a demon, The Duke of Hell, one of the cruellest of all creatures that ever existed, and here he was, completely and utterly unable to kill a mere human. What a sad irony, that what his life was. What a mockery.

Still it was true.

The absolute truth that cannot be changed. After all he never lies, not even to himself.

He couldn't kill him. He tried once again and he really couldn't.

Oh, Ciel, my sweet and so unreplaceable Ciel. What a joke.

He just couldn't.

So he left.


	3. Overflowing emptiness

**A/N:**

The third chapter's up. I have this feeling it's not as good as the previous ones, but I still post it here. I had some hard moments while writing it, some sentences sound strange to me. If you think something's off, please, tell me.

Encouraging reviews are welcome and appreciated too :D

Sebastian: You're forgetting to do this whole "disclaimer" thing.

Me: What disclaimer thing?

Sebastian: You know, "I do not own, blah, blah." In the previous chapter you forgot to do it too.

Me: Oh... really? I forgot?

Sebastian: You did.

Me: ….

Sebastian: Say, you seriously thought you could own _me_?

Me: ….

Sebastian: No one owns ME!

Me: What about Ciel?

Sebastian: ….

Me: ….

Sebastian: Just shut up and do this damn "disclaimer" thing!

Me: OK, OK. Here it goes:

**DISCLAIMER:**

Kuroshitsuji and Sebastian aren't mine.

Me: I feel like crying. Are you happy now?

Sebastian: Well, more or less. But it wasn't really creative one.

Me: ….

_________________________________

**3. Overflowing emptiness**

„Oh my God, Ciel, what happened?" that were the first words he heard after coming home. Not that he looked physically hurt nor he was bleeding. His clothes were in perfect order, hair not messy at all. And still Elisabeth said these words. She even added: "Are you sure you're OK?" when looking at him with these big, teary eyes of hers.

"I'm sure" he answered although he wasn't OK at all.

"_Why, Sebastian?_" he kept asking himself. His mind was full of "whys" but he didn't dare to make an assumption, didn't dare to guess. He was unable to. He knew nothing about Sebastian, all those years and he still knew nothing.

"Ciel... Maybe you should sit down... I'm sure... Well, I really think you should sit down... Ciel, please..."

Elisabeth was treating him like a broken porcelain doll, slightly cracked and threatening to fall into pieces. He sure felt like one. A puppet without the strings, forgotten by the puppeteer.

He was the puppeteer once, the master, he told himself. Such a big word, _master_. He'd knew it was only temporary, that it'll end someday and he'll be obliged to pay. This was the most reassuring constant in his life, that was the law. What one once got, one have to pay for. Actions have consequences, even if you're a child. These were the basics. His whole life he'd believed in those words with everything what remained of his heart.

Sebastian never lies. He'd told him he'll eat him. And he hadn't.

Ciel knew it was stupid. Being alive was much better. But he still felt betrayed.

He'd told him that he'll stay with him until the end of time. So many times he'd said that. And then he left.

Ciel had this feeling he won't see Sebastian ever again, and it was devastating.

Calm. Stay calm. Indifferent. Always indifferent.

There was no Heaven for him. The Hell was his only option now. He reflected on the thought coldly. The Hell. Full of damned humans suffering over their sins. Tortures. In Hell they're torturing people. All this screaming and yelling will certainly cause some serious migraine for him. Apart from all sorts of other pains and agonies awaiting for him there. After all we're talking about The Hell here, aren't we?

Of course there will be creatures like Sebastian too. Other demons. Will they resemble Sebastian or not? He'd seen all these supernatural things, Shinigamis, demon dogs, angels, all kinds of monsters. He'd even seen a witch once. But he'd never met another demon besides Sebastian.

Sebastian. No matter where his thoughts circulated, no matter how much he tried not to think about him. Sebastian. Always and forever.

Will he come to see him there? Or will he just forget all about him and find another master? The better tasting one. Will he see his ex-butler's face ever again?

He imagined eternity without Sebastian.

It hurt.

He'd heard once that there are all sorts of hells, that every person has one, unique and fitting only for him/her.

If that was true then eternity without Sebastian would do the job for him.

It hurt so much.

"Ciel, what's the matter? Please, talk to me... Can I do anything for you? Just say and I will do it..." nagged Elizabeth.

"Just go away and live me alone."

"But..."

"Go. Away."

For a long moment she looked like she didn't know what to do, looking around for any help, trembling and worried.

"Maybe Sebastian..."

Ciel froze and Elisabeth understood that help wasn't coming.

"Where...Ciel... Where is... Sebastian?"

"Somewhere. Nowhere. I don't know" Ciel answered while staring blankly at the floor.

So it was about Sebastian, Elisabeth thought, always about Sebastian.

"I'm sure he'll come back."

Her voice was shaking with unreadable emotions.

"He won't."

She almost felt relieved, almost happy, like a big burden was lifted off of her heart. Until now she didn't even know there was a burden. It scared her. Why was she relieved that someone was gone, on top of that – a person so loyal, so kind, so precious to Ciel?

She felt ugly.

"No, Ciel, he _will_ come back to you. He always..."

"Just go away" he interrupted her.

"But..."

"Leave. Now."

After he heard the door shut, he lifted his gaze and looked through the window. It was the night of the new moon and the sky was dark and empty.

____________________________________________

**A/N**

Elisabeth = persistent, annoying bitch. That's the proof.

Yes, the last line is a metaphor (Ciel = sky). It just wrote itself by accident, I realised it after I read it for the fourth time.

I'm so grateful to the people who reviewed. Without you it would have remained a one-shot. Thank you all 3


	4. Fear of the loss

**A/N:**

It seems I'm going to continue this... Maybe it should have stayed a one-shot... Well, it's too late now :D I don't have a beta so there's going to be errors here and I'm afraid I'm completely oblivious to them so you must bear with it for the sake of the art (yay, I actually called it _the art_, what a blasphemy...)

Me: Sebaaastian! I'm so in love with youuuu!

Sebastian: Eeek!!!

Me: ….

Me: What was that "Eeek!!!" for?!

Sebastian: Well... It means I'm not twisted that way.

Me: What is there to be twisted about?! I'm not that bad. Don't you like women?

Sebastian: Not particularly.

Me: Oh. So that means you like men better?

Sebastian: Not really either.

Me: ….

Sebastian: I'm more of a cat person.

Me: ….

Sebastian: ….

Me: Oh...

Sebastian: Yes, that's right.

Me: But Ciel isn't a cat.

Sebastian: He's an exception.

Me: O~Kay... Lets say I understand...

Sebastian: No, you don't.

Me: ….

Me: Lets just ignore him and pass on to the Disclaimer-san...

**DISCLAIMER:**

I don't own it. I wish I would, but Sebastian says I can't. Mean demon.

**4. Fear of the loss**

He tried. He really tried. He had a new master. And then another one. And another. Stupid, boring humans, all the same, all immersed in their humanity. All gone in a flash. One of them was a banker, one was a Duke (though he hasn't even remember the name of his dukedom), another one a tramp from suburbs of London, and then there was that slut who wanted to become a proper lady. All kinds of humans, all the same. He was searching through humanity like through infinite garbage can, looking for what he had lost. All his _masters_ had their wishes, their greeds and troubles, all so common, so usual. There was word _revenge_ mentioned once of twice, he became interested and he became disappointed soon after. Not enough. Not enough! NOT ENOUGH!!!

Why is it that everything he tries is still insufficient? Every time the word _master_ appears in his mind, a single azure blue eye is present too, altogether with word _more_ attached to it. No matter where he goes, where he searches, there is always something missing. He isn't even sure he know what it is.

He didn't kill that human boy. He simply couldn't. Was his decision wrong? He doesn't know anymore. Maybe it would be easier for him to kill that boy. Maybe he should have done it. He questions that decision every day, every hour. Was it really all right to let the boy live? Wouldn't it be easier to make him disappear? Then, if the boy doesn't exist, the creature once called Sebastian wouldn't have been tempted to go against his basic principles and seek him, meet him, touch him. He should have disappeared.

Yes, he should have.

If only world without him wouldn't have been so hard to imagine...

Two years. Two long, vexing years have passed, every single sunrise confusing the demon more and more, the new born sky reminding him of certain very special person until he's unable to endure it anymore. Two years of suffering, of longing. The demon's a composed person. He managed to hold back for over seven hundred days. It's small amount comparing to his lifespan but in this case it is significant and undoubtedly surprising. In the beginning he thought he could've endured far more but it seems it's been a miscalculation. He's lived for centuries but now one single day is comparable to a century and that's why he surpassed his limit of endurance after mere two years.

He wants to see him. Badly.

The human life is short. The life of _that_ particular human is even shorter, more unpredictable, more precious. He has this illness called asthma and this dangerous profession. He has a duty to fulfil as an aristocrat and those stupid servants to look after. All sorts of dangers surround him, especially now, when he isn't protected anymore. That boy is surely too stubborn and arrogant to notice that the force which looked after him before is now gone and that he should be more cautious. The demon isn't so naïve as to believe that the boy would change. Or, to be more precise, he refuses to believe so. Ciel'll always be Ciel, he thinks, no mater what. Even if the world ended, Ciel'll always look straight ahead without single doubt present in his mismatched eyes, he won't regret anything nor he'll ever weaver.

That is if he'll live for so long. Which is highly unlikely, taking human lifespan and Ciel's personality into consideration. In a few more decades at most Ciel'll be gone forever, even his bones turned into dust.

And thus "world without Ciel" will became an unavoidable truth.

That single thought irritates the demon beyond comprehension. He's fully aware that delaying isn't preventing. The pain he avoided once will come later. It'll get him and squeeze his chest, make itself comfortable within his mind and slowly but inevitably drive him insane. That's why he managed to stay away from the boy for two whole years. Even though he wants to see him so badly that it hurts, being with the human more means more pain later. But he wants it. He wants it! HE WANTS IT!!!

Of little comfort is that he knows the boy is alive, he still has the mark of their contract engraved on his hand, despite the fact he has new master now, or, to be more precise, he had quite a few of them, one after another. When he closes his eyes he doesn't even remember the face of the current one (wait, who is it again? Ah, that lazy Prince from... Well, who cares anyway...), to say nothing of the previous ones. Those humans are so foolish, all of them are satisfied so easily, not even fun to play with. They're predictable (Ciel isn't), they're stupid (Ciel's different), they're ugly, both from the outside and inside (not like Ciel), they're so extremely boring (the very last thing one could say about Ciel). Thus removing the mark of the only true convent he's ever had and replacing it with something transitory and nonessential never has been an option. Besides he still can _feel_ the boy thanks to it, the faint echo of the human's heartbeat pulsing just beneath demon's pale skin. During these two years there have been nights of despair, when he almost broke, almost gave in to his desires. The nights when he went to that mansion which he still unknowingly calls "home" in the depths of his mind. He always stopped just before the gate or stone wall, never close enough, not allowing himself to have a glimpse through his master's window. Then he waited for morning to come, his hand pressed close to his chest while he listened to the sound of the boy's heartbeat inside of his palm, cloudy look on his face, unable to come closer and yet at the same time unable to let go. When the first ray of rising sun reached him, he was always leaving, angry with himself.

Demons are superior creatures. They're strong, cold and cruel and feared by every being which possessed even a slightest bit of self-preservation instinct. They don't have weaknesses and are not emotional. And here he is, The Great Duke of Hell, long ago, in the era of paganism, worshipped by many as equivalent of "god", powerful and truly terrifying, that great being is fighting with those strange things called _feelings_ which he shouldn't even have.

He finally lost it the day he realised that _fear_ is among the emotions swirling inside of him, and on top of that it is overwhelming.

"_Yes, I'm afraid_" he admitted to himself.

U n f o r g i v a b l e.


	5. Unattended needs

**A/N:**

Short for the lack of time and inspiration. Strange for the way I em. With errors, as usual. That is my trademark fanfiction writer's skill. Enjoy (if it's even possible) XD

Me: Well, well, well, look who we have here XD. Our cute little Young Master~

Ciel: Someone told me I can find Sebastian here.

Me: Oh, you're so direct~ Your _beloved_ Sebastian... Just where can he be~

Ciel: Belov... What the... Is this some kind of joke?!

Me: Who knows~

Ciel: Do you feel well? Maybe there's something wrong with your brain? Any history of mental illnesses in the family? Schizophrenia? Psychosis maybe? Plain stupidity? Do you take any medications?

Me: No...

Ciel: Well, then maybe you should?

Me: …

Ciel: …

Me: Ahem...

Ciel: So. Do you happen to know where my demon is?

Me: _Your_ demon? Such a meaningful phrase~

Ciel: Do you seriously want to piss me off?

Me: …

Ciel: Well? DO YOU?!

Me: SEBAAAAAAASTIAN!!!

Ciel: Tss... You don't need to yell!

Me: (is taking a deep breath) SEBAAAAAAASTIAN!!! Take that brat away from meeee, so I can do my disclaimer in peace!!!!!

Ciel: You really don't need to yell...

**DISCLAIMER:**

I don't own Kuroshitsuji. I don't even want to in this particular moment. Ciel is a baka.

Me: I still want to own Sebastian, though.

Sebastian: NO.

Me: … (is crying in the corner) …

**5. Unattended needs**

It was difficult at the beginning, life without Sebastian. Ciel'd already known that he used to depend on his butler too much but he _understood_ it only after said butler was no longer with him. It wasn't true that he couldn't dress and undress without someone's help, he just couldn't do it _properly_. He knew the basic theory behind it but lacked training. He wasn't so retarded as to not know how to tie his own shoelaces, he wasn't a ten year old child anymore. He could ride on even the most restive horse in his stables. He could play a violin on a level that was recognised by professionals. He could fence and dance and he's able to shoot a coin with his favourite gun three times before it hit the ground. He had read most of the books in his library, some of them he'd even memorised. What threat do two damn shoelaces pose? Why should neck tie be considered frightening? Is bath something he won't be able to do by himself?

Up to this time he'd demanded Sebastian's help, for various reasons. First, the aristocrat shouldn't be forced to do such things, they should be done _for him_. In the upper classes it is common to have a personal butler tending to one's clothing and some intimate needs, bath for example. It isn't unusual for a grown man to use this kind of assistance. Ciel wasn't an exception here.

Second, it was like a game between them, the one that emphasized Sebastian's role as a mere servant and Ciel's as a master. Serving someone in this fashion was supposed to be _humiliating_. On the other hand it required extreme composure and indifference on master's behalf. After all these kind of things to common people qualified as very intimate. Being naked in someone's presence isn't easy. There are only two ways to avoid purple blush covering half of one's body (which is very embarrassing since in this situation the other person's able to see it quite well) while being naked when having company – either one should become really comfortable around the witness of one's nudity or one should treat the said (unwanted) witness like nothing but a piece of furniture. In Ciel's case it was mixture of both, he wasn't eager to admit it, though.

The leisure moments just before going to bed were the toughest. With every undone button, every soft swish of expensive fabric, he missed Sebastian more and more, until it was almost unbearable. When he felt the moment of breakdown closing in, he would halt his movements, close his eyes and take ten deep, painful breaths, praying for tears not to fall. Then, when the danger was gone, he would resume whatever he was doing with clenched teeth, slowly, calmly. Pretending as if nothing had ever happened, now or at all.

Mornings were easier. Everyone was there for him during mornings. Soma got into the habit of breaking into Ciel's bedroom and waking him up using the strangest (and _extremely_ annoying) methods, for example by pouring cold water onto the earl's face, blowing hot stream of breath into his ear or singing Indian songs (sometimes with few odd looking instruments included) very loudly. Every single day the prince was rewarded with harsh words, cold sarcasm or, when Ciel was feeling particularly bad, a real, genuine tantrum. Still it seemed Soma considered it better than his little earl's usual indifferent behaviour. Therefore he asked Agni to wake him up before the sunrise every day.

After Soma's inventive "reveille" Agni intervened, taking his prince away before (or soon after) blood was spilled, then there was Tanaka's turn to draw back the curtains (if he wasn't in his chibi mode at the moment) and serve breakfast (prepared by Bard and usually uneatable). Lizzie, who for some incomprehensible reason insisted on moving to the Phantomhive's mansion (just for a short while, until things settle down a little, or so she said), came in mere moments before Ciel, still in his night cloths, finished drinking his tea and annoyed him more, as if it was even possible. It was usually around 7a.m. when the earl's patience finally broke and he yelled "get out!". He was dressing up then, fast and trying not to think of anything unnecessary, especially not about a certain demon. After that he moved to his office and spent his entire day working.

Or at least he _tried_ to work. That too turned out to be difficult without silky voice reminding him about schedule, meetings, location of important documents and other work-related stuff. On top of that his office started to look messy, piles of papers and books everywhere, a thick layer of dust on every flat surface, since he'd forbidden the embodiment of disaster (that is Meilin) to enter the room. After mere two months it was beginning to be inconvenient, to not have a butler. He was capable of attending to his personal needs himself, he wasn't ready – and probably never will be – to expose himself so much in front of someone, but his business was quite another matter. Especially since Her Highness will soon remember about him, it was the matter of days, he read in the newspapers about another serial killer on the loose.

As much as it pained him, he needed a new butler.

And he needed him fast.


	6. The new butler

**A/N:**

After a long time I'm coming back from the dead! The reason I didn't updated is that the part in my brain where my fanfiction writing skills are located wasn't functioning well. The reason I'm back is that I have something else to do, and it's really urgent and important matter, so I can't stop myself from doing useless things and that whimsical part of my brain I mentioned earlier seems to be working just fine exactly when it shouldn't.

With regard to the story: I may change the rating to at least T soon. What do you think? XD

**Warning** : Cliffie ahead.

**Me: **You know, Sebastian?

**Sebastian:** No, I don't know and I don't want to.

**Me: ** (is completely ignoring her surroundings) I think that our little disclaimer dialogues may irritate some people.

**Sebastian: **Yes, I think so too. They surely irritate _me_.

**Me: **(is still ignoring him) So maybe, just maybe, we should stop doing this?

**Sebastian: **Yes. We should.

**Me: **But I heard there actually are people who like them.

**Sebastian: **No. That's useless gossip. We definitely should stop.

**Me: **But I like doing them.

**Sebastian:** …

**Me: **…

**Sebastian: **(is shrugging his shoulders) Who cares?

**Me: **But I (accidentally) wrote some in advance...

**Sebastian: **As I said: _who cares_?

**Me: **But...

**Sebastian: **Stop it.

**Me: **But~

**Sebastian: **I said STOP IT!

**Me:** BUUUUUT.... (^w^)~

**Sebastian: **Imitating a cat is like a hit below the belt. You are an evil person.

**Me:** (^w^)~ **(^w^)~** **(*w*)~ (*w*)~~~~~**

**Sebastian:** FINE! ! ! Do whatever you want!

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I own nothing. But Sebastian is strangely compliant right now, so maybe...**

**Sebastian:** NO!!! Should I spell this for you!?

* * *

**6. The new butler is scared shitless**

Albert Morrison had started to work as the Phantomhive's butler over one and a half year ago and most of the time he was content with his current job. He came from the family with traditions, he's great-grandfather, his grandfather, as well as his father and most of his uncles and cousins were butlers. He was trained rigorously how to be a butler since he'd been able to walk. He was youngest son but he was brilliant and very capable, everyone always praised him. He wasn't happy with his predetermined future, though, and, when he come of age, he rebelled. Since then he was considered a black sheep, after all he didn't want to continue his family's precious tradition. His father was furious and disinherited him without a second thought. It hurt to be abandoned like that, just because one didn't want to have a life someone thought one should have, but Albert managed somehow. He had done the strangest things to earn a living after his disinheritance, he was once a boxer in underground matches, he'd been working as an errand boy for Italian Mafia (only for one month, though, he'd soon come to his senses), then there was that shady gentlemen's club. After that he had been wandering about Europe and ended selling weird underwear in a small shop on the outskirts of Paris, and when the local circle of (supposedly) respectable matrons destroyed the business he returned to London and had started to work (only temporarily) as a bouncer in a brothel called 'The Red Ribbon'. Shortly speaking his work career was rather unusual and some people (with his dear father at the top of the list) may say his life was an utter failure. After almost ten years of struggling he was beginning to agree with this opinion, especially since he wasn't a real fan of brothels, and was seriously considering going back to his father on his knees to beg for forgiveness. One may say the timing of the young Earl of The Phantomhive's job offer was perfect.

Even so, after hearing Lord Ciel's proposition for the first time, Albert almost laughed. Being a butler of fourteen years old kid? Him? Was it the next prank Lady Fortune played on him? But he was desperate at that time and thought anything would be better than that dirty hole called 'The Red Ribbon'. So he had agreed.

The little Earl, asked when his new butler should take over his duties, had used the word 'immediately' and so Albert had taken his belongings (still unpacked after half a year) and hoped on the carriage.

He still remembered the conversation that had occurred back then vividly, as if it was yesterday.

The Earl eyed him with cold, haughty eyes, pausing for a split second on every imperfection he saw. Albert felt hot blush covering his face and he reminded himself silently that this person sitting across of him may be a noble, but he's still a kid, twice younger than him on top of it.

It didn't help much. Enduring this unpleasant silence was quite hard.

"Pardon me asking, but why do you want to employ me? Aren't you aware of my reputation? Do your parents agreed on this?".

Earl smiled coldly at all this questions.

"What a curious person you are" he teased.

"Pardon me..." for some reason Albert felt obliged to apologise.

"Well, it is fine. After all you would find out the answers to your questions soon even if I decided not to tell you. But I think it will be easier if I just reveal what you need to know now, it'll spare us both the embarrassment in the future. First, my parents are dead. They were murdered four years ago, and my mansion was burned down to crisp soon after that."

"Oh" wasn't the most polite word to say at that moment, but Albert wasn't exactly sure what else he could say. He had 'my sincere condolences' on the tip of his tongue, but swallowed his words. The kid didn't look like he wanted his pity. Or anyone's. He was just stating a fact.

'My parents are dead. Happens.'

"Regarding your reputation" the kid continued. "Yes, I'm fully aware of it. As a matter of fact, I want to hire you mainly because of your reputation. I need a butler. But I don't need a conventional one. The truth is that it is not your upbringing, but your unusual... job history... that made me interested. You may be thinking that you finally found yourself a normal, decent job. Abandon that thought, this is the best advice I can give you."

"_This doesn't sound very reassuring_" Albert thought. "_Who exactly is this kid and what are his goals?_"

"What duties I will have then?"

"Aside from running my house you will have to help me with my jobs, official as well as an unofficial one."

"You have a job at this age? And on top of that two of them? Oh, my apolo..."

"Yes, that is the case" the Earl interrupted. "I am the owner of the Fantom company."

"That big company producing candies and toys?" Albert felt his jaw dropping.

"The same one."

"But that's one of the biggest companies in the country!"

The kid just smiled politely at him.

"I am aware of that."

A soon-to-be Phantomhive's butler blushed heavily once again. So the kid's not only a noble but a businessman too, whatever, nothing to be so surprised about, dammit.

"Oh, and before I tell you about my other job I would like to ask you one question. You seem to be quite familiar with the affairs of the underworld. Have you ever heard of the Queen's watchdog?"

Albert blinked at the sudden change of the subject. So the Queen's watchdog it is this time.

"Yes. I think everyone there at least has heard of him, I've never met him, though."

"What have you heard then?"

"Everyone fears him" Albert answered after thinking for a while. "They say that he clears every mess that Her Majesty tells him to, and he doesn't bother with anyone, not even the police. There is quite a few rumours about him, most of them so fantastic that they just cannot be true. But even if only one third of the rumours is true, then he is quite a scary and powerful person"

"Oh. So they say" the Earl smirked for some reason.

"Pardon my rudeness but what this has to do with our conversation?"

"Oh, nothing" the kid almost chuckled. "Nothing at all. Beside the fact that I am that 'scary and powerful person'. Oh, why such an extreme reaction, mister Morrison, or Albert, I start calling you that since you are now my butler, please close your mouth. It looks very undignified."

Albert Morrison smiled to himself at the memory. Yes, it was quite an unforgettable conversation. He had to admit that getting used to his various duties wasn't easy at the beginning and there had been many times when he embarrassed himself terribly and felt incompetent. The Earl was a really demanding employer, nothing escaped his attention, not even the smallest flaw. He was told by the other staff members that the previous butler of the house was quite the perfectionist and that is why Lord Ciel is rarely, if at all, pleased by his services. Of course the Earl reprimanded him only if flaws were significant, there was only a few times when he was yelled at, that was his only punishment. Not that he needed any – his father had inculcated a striving for perfection butler's principles in him, not even ten years of stray life managed to change that. But despite that all he was still content with his current job most of the time, after all it wasn't as boring as he thought the butler's job would be. Sometimes he was just angry at his Lord, and at himself, that nothing he did was good enough. Every piece of cake, every cup of tea, was tasted, then there was that barely noticeable grimace, an unreadable emotion crossing the face before the thing he served was eaten with cold indifference. So irritating.

There wasn't any difference this evening too. His employer had drank his oolong tea and wasn't displeased, but he wasn't pleased either. Always that cold, emotionless face. Albert heaved a sigh. Really, that kid should show some signs of humanity once in a while, he was only sixteen and already such a cynic. He heard that he was different in the past, that before his parents were killed and his house burned he was the cutest child in the world (not that he could imagine that, he tried once and failed miserably), and even later, in the era of 'Sebastian', he still wasn't such a hopeless case.

Oh right. Sebastian. The former butler of the Phantomhives. His predecessor. A forbidden name. The mere sound of which causes Lord Ciel to flinch.

Damn Sebastian. It's all your fault. Rot in hell.

These and many more other, more impolite invectives swirled in the head of Albert Morrison when he opened the door of his employer bedroom in the middle of the night in order to wake him up. He knew very well that Lord Ciel doesn't like to wake up at such an hour but it was pretty much an emergency. The Queen's courier arrived just now with the letter from Her Majesty. On the envelope there was written the word 'urgent'.

"Your Lordship, please wake..." he started to say and then was taken aback by the scene before him.

There was a dark shadow leaning over the bed and beneath that shadow there was his employer, struggling and uttering muffled moans and unrecognisable sounds.


	7. One step beyond hunger

**A/N:**

I must confess something here. The whole previous chapter was written for the sake of the last line. I know it's lame to write over two pages of text for such purpose but I really needed that line XD The idea was: "the new butler comes to Ciel's bedroom in the middle of the night and sees the scene he doesn't know what to think about". I needed this scene and the existence of the new butler for one purpose: to make Sebby jealous. So. Here it goes. Sebby's POV in this chapter (errr, can it be considered a warning? Or is it more of a promise? XD).

**Utter randomness:**

The ice-cream in the middle of the night is the best (^v^). I'll pay for my sins someday, I'm aware of that but still...

Mmm~ strawberry flavoured~

Totally the best.

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I own nothing. Sad but true. A certain Shinigami told me I can have Ciel, though.**

**Sebastian:** No, you can't.

**Me:** Easy, easy, I don't even want to.

**Ciel:** Wha...

**Me: **You can have him.

**Sebastian: **Fine with me.

**Ciel: **You two, will you stop it alrea...

**Me: **He's a-all yours~.

**Sebastian: **So it's settled.

**Me: **It is : 3.

**Ciel: **Wait a minute! I belong to no one!

**Me:** I think we should have some tea.

**Sebastian: **Good idea.

**Ciel: **Will you people listen to me!?

**Me: **…

**Sebastian: **…

**Ciel:** Well?

**Me: **…

**Sebastian:** I'll go and prepare the tea.

(Sebastian leaves)

**Ciel:** …

**Me:** So, as I said earlier, I own nothing, not even Ciel...

**Ciel:** That's right!

**Me:** … 'cause Sebastian has the exclusive possession of him.

**Ciel:** NO, HE DOESN'T!

**Me:** Will you shut up already?! He even owns your damn soul! So you _are_ his possession! For once try to be truthful to yourself!

**Ciel:** Don't yell at me T^T

**Me:** …

**Ciel:** …

**Me: **(is calming down after she made a kid cry, bad, bad arienrhod...) Well then? Are you in Sebastian's exclusive possession or not?

**Ciel:** I... am?

**Me:** Good boy~ (is patting Ciel's head).

**7. One step beyond hunger**

The demon was walking through the sleeping mansion. There wasn't so much of a change to it. A new piece of furniture here and there. One of the paintings in the corridor on the second floor was missing (just who's exactly fault _that_ was, he wandered distantly), the carpet in the study room was replaced, probably because someone spilled some hard to wash off liquid on it, or maybe it was burned with a live coal from the fireplace. The bedroom in the west wing, the one the most away from the master's apartments, was all covered in blue and pink ribbons, it seemed it belonged to Lizzie now, she wasn't in at the moment, though. Not far from it was the room in which Soma was sleeping soundly, with his belly showing and saliva sipping out from his open mouth. The demon stole through the servants quarters, noticing that his former room was still empty, instead there was one more room which seemed occupied. Is it Agni's or...

He gritted his teeth. Of course it wasn't Agni's. The Indian butler's bedroom was further ahead, and he was in, his steady heartbeat quite loud to the demon's ears. This one belonged to _that man_. The new butler of the Phantomhives. His _replacement_.

However the man wasn't in now, he was loitering somewhere in the house, if the demon really tried, he could've heard the noises the man was making, but he didn't want to try. If he impend too much, the demon will hear him regardless of his wishes. That was good enough.

He quickened his peace, suddenly very angry.

To where Ciel is. Now.

In no time he was in front of the familiar oaken door. He put his hand on the knob and froze. Did he truly wanted to do this? Maybe it was better to just...

No. Now is not the time to have doubts. He'd tried to leave this human alone. Hadn't worked. Hadn't worked at all. Leaving him alone doesn't solve anything. Thus he made a decision.

He'll do it properly this time.

He'll end this properly.

He turned the knob.

The door creaked faintly when he opened it, seems that butler is doing a poor job, the thought gave him strange satisfaction. He brushed it off angrily. Damn human may do whatever he wants, it's not the demon's concern anymore.

The door opened widely and then closed after him with soft thud before he dared to lift his eyes and look at the shape laying on the bed.

Closer.

Not much difference here either. Face a bit less chubby but still possessing the soft outline of a child. Body slightly more toned, he probably had more 'exercises' when doing his other job than when Sebastian was still around. Arms and legs a little longer, but Ciel will never be a tall person even as an adult, he took after his mother on that.

But wait, he won't ever be an adult, he won't be having any future.

Damn. Why is he thinking of such things? Who cares about this human's future or the lack of it? He doesn't, dammit!

Not anymore.

Just as that day almost two years ago, when Ciel offered his soul to the demon willingly, he placed his hands on the fragile throat.

And just as then the same thing that made it impossible for him happened.

His little master opened his eyes.

"Sebastian" he whispered in soft, confused and surprised tone, while staring at him with those wide open, sky-like irises.

"What are you..."

The demon couldn't allow him to talk. If another word gets through those lips it'll all be in vain. He can't let him.

His moves was fast as those of a snake.

"Se... umphh..."

"_Yes, I am a cold blooded predator"_ he thought while kissing his ex-master's soft lips_ "but_ _comparing me to animals won't do"_ he thought, kissing him deep. "_I am worse than animals which don't have consciousness to judge their actions, which don't have a will"_ he thought while swallowing all sounds that the being wriggling beneath him tried to make altogether with his saliva. "_I am but a demon"_ he admitted to himself, exploring resistant mouth with his sinful tongue, letting it battle the one belonging to his victim. "_I am nothing more and nothing less_" he thought, overflowing with need and feeling the human's soul pulsing deep within a frame made from flesh and mortality. He wanted to reach for it, but strangely eating wasn't on his mind right now, he just wanted to touch it so badly, he didn't care that the human beneath him was having trouble breathing, it was hard to breath for him too. He didn't know anymore if this was hunger guiding him, or something else, something he couldn't name nor define, and he didn't care. He had waited for his meal, and then had waited once again. But this was so much different, so much _more_.

And despite the cold-blooded animal theory from earlier it was hot and suffocating, even more when the one he was kissing so passionately finally surrendered and wrapped his fingers around the hands that was holding his head in place.

And then it ended.

The world around him spun and hit him in the face.

There was a man standing over him.

"Aaah, so you are the replacement" he stated, still dizzy (not a common state for him).

"You... you damn filthy bastard..." the replacement hissed through his teeth. "How dare you... To His Lordship... You're a dead meat."

"Such a vulgar language. It seems that you aren't training your dogs properly these days, Young Master" Sebastian said, still not looking at the person on the bed who was panting heavily and apparently had trouble composing himself after what happened.

Not for long, though. His Young Master rarely lost his cold blood for long.

"I'm training my dogs just fine. At least these days. I don't know about the past, though. After all my previous dog abandoned me and it seems that he is even biting on the hand that fed him once" his human answered him in a calm manner. Ah, that voice... What a strange feeling to hear it again... What a weird and almost forgotten sensation it caused...

So amusing.

Oh well, h e was a masochist, he admitted to himself. Which was a bit uncommon of a demon, but still... He was helpless here, really. It was stronger than him and he rarely encountered such things. One of his few weaknesses. He liked _pain_. It was one of the things he missed the most during those two years. Though he was suffering then, greatly, but it was different. He didn't like it. Not the way he did back when he was still the Phantomhive's butler.

He recalled.

The pain had been delicious. Every single time he'd taken a blow for Him, every wound he'd got because of Him was savoury and somehow sweet. But physical pain still hadn't been the best. Even when he was tortured, when his ribs was ripped apart and his skin burned with the fire of Hell, pain wasn't so deep and overwhelming as when the single word, the single glance from beneath half-closed eyelids had been shot at him by _that human_. Ah, the feeling had been incomparable to anything on Earth or in Hell (probably in Heaven too, oh well, who cares about Heaven anyway) as it had burned, ached, stung, filling every corner of his body with somehow welcome suffering. He remembered his palms slightly trembling at such occasions, cold and at the same time scorching shivers moving painfully slowly to the base of his spine, breath catching and the timbre of his voice lowering slightly – signs so small that unnoticeable to a human being but obvious to him. He'd felt a bit humiliated every time it happened and he couldn't control himself, but that only had made that feeling more intoxicating. Oh God (it even brought him to calling this forbidden word) it had felt so damn great.

Almost as if he was _alive_.

Even now at the mere thought unwanted smile spread through his face like one of medieval plagues (he was entitled to use this metaphor any time he wanted, he was responsible for at least three of them) and he couldn't suppress this emotions anymore, not now, when he was in the presence of the real thing.

He recalled the words he just heard, the ones that made him feel this way again, relishing them.

Oh, to be able to indulge in one of those cruel verbal games again...

How he missed them.

"I wasn't exactly _biting_, if I recall correctly" he looked at his ex-master for the first time since he landed on the floor (so ungracefully) and he smirked. His face still stung a bit. The muscles, not used in this manner for such a long time, were getting used to their new arrangement.

Ciel blushed, embarrassed and angry. A familiar 'tshe' left his lips.

"Why are you here?"

"Well what do _you_ think, _Young Master_?"

"Quit calling me that!"

"What should I call you then?"

There was a silence after those words. The demon was secretly observing his prey through half-closed eyelids. The Earl, unsure how to answer, was sitting on the bed, with lowered gaze, still he too was observing the demon with the corner of his eye. The other one, the eye with the contract, was firmly closed.

"_Ah, there is an outsider here, I almost forgot_" Sebastian thought with animosity.

Said outsider apparently didn't know what's going on and decided to change it at this very moment.

"If you pardon my impoliteness, My Lord, may I ask you who the hell is that person?"

"Oh, it seems I didn't introduced you two, what a negligence" sarcasm was sipping from Ciel's words like venom. "Sebastian, this is Albert Morrison, my current butler. Albert, let me introduce to you Sebastian Michaelis, the person who did your job before you and who abandoned his duties for no apparent reason, then disappeared for almost two years, doing only devil knows what during that time, and now is back, again for no apparent reason whatsoever, to mess with my life once again."

"At least thanks to me abandoning you you have a life to mess with" corrected Sebastian. "Be a little more grateful."

The Earl of Phantomhive looked at him coldly.

"Strangely I am not. You traitor."


	8. That master, very agitated

**A/N:**

**Ciel: **Hello, dear arienrhod. I believe you have something to say to us.

**Me: **Yes, indeed, I have something to say.

**Ciel:** ….

**Me: **….

**Ciel: **I'm waiting~

**Me: **For what exactly?

**Ciel: **Grrr, you... (is mumbling) Patience, patience... Just say it already!

**Me: **OK. So. People who read our previous conversations may think that I hate you, Ciel. My statement is as follows: IT IS NOT TRUE!

**Ciel:** Wha... what are you blabbing about?

**Me:** I'm obviously trying to clear a misunderstanding.

**Ciel:** WHO ASKED YOU TO DO THAT?!

**Me: **You did.

**Ciel: **Me?

**Me:** Yup, just now.

**Ciel:** I didn't...

**Me:** Yes, you did. You're negating yourself.

**Ciel:** I'm not. It's you who's stupid.

**Me: ** (is escaping reality) I have also something to say in addition. The truth is I really like Ciel, he's pretty and cute and have those amazing eyes and when he's angry he makes this lovely face so I always want to tease him and...

**Ciel:** I'm not _cute_! Children are _cute_! Cats are _cute_!

**Me:** (is still in her own world) … and his voice is so nice and deep that you want to make him... scream XD Te-hee~. Do you take my point? And his relationship with Sebastian is so promising and full of possibilities...

**Ciel:** What relationship?! What _possibilities_?!

**Me:** (is entering lecturer's mode) Ciel, you should know by now. After all you two have already _kissed_. You should be fully aware of...

**Ciel:** (is blushing heavily) DO. YOUR. DAMN. DISCLAIMER! ! !

**DISCLAIMER:**

**Kuroshitsuji and all characters in it are not mine. They belong solely to Toboso Yana. I own only this fic and the descriptions of all things I made (or will make) the characters involved in it do [_fangirl mode: ON_] like hugging and touching and kissing and...**

**Ciel:** Will you _shut up_?!

**Me:** Yup~

**8. That Earl, Very Agitated**

Albert glared at the man who had been introduced to him just a moment ago and immediately afterwards called a "traitor". So that was famous Sebastian Michaelis. Albert watched him getting on his feet and turning to face Lord Ciel at the sound of a ruthless word. He was named a traitor. He seemed a bit shaken by it, though his handsome face remained perfectly calm. Current butler of the Phantomhives looked at the man gaugingly. Damn bastard was not only ridiculously beautiful, more than a human, and not only a male one, should be. He had a nice figure and he was taller than Albert by approximately three inches. On top of that, regardless of his tough landing on the floor from a while ago, his blue-black outfit was perfect and elegant like some frigging work of art.

Sebastian Michaelis. The perfect butler. The one he'd never managed to catch up with. The one that he was always compared to. The one that will always be better.

Be damned.

The one that can make Lord Ciel yell and rage. And blush.

Be damned for all eternity. Go to hell and never come back.

Albert took a deep breath in preparation to voice the feelings that were overwhelming him.

"Yes, I left you" the bastard took away his opportunity to speak. "I won't apologise, I won't tell you I regret it. Even if I did, it is of no importance now. Neither I will tell you I want to come back to you, as you said, I abandoned my duties and my prize. This is the undeniable truth. Or, if you prefer to call it that, I'm a traitor. But I can give you something as a little consolation. Do you want it?"

They gazed at each other for long seconds, and Albert gritted his teeth. It was as if they were alone in the room, as if he didn't exist at all.

"And what consolation can you possibly give me? What could I possibly want from you?" The Earl cut the silence with the mocking voice.

His previous butler looked him in the eyes and smirked.

"You can give me whatever punishment you want. Here and now. Vent your anger on me, pour your fury at me, bathe me in your wrath. I want lift a finger to fight back."

The Earl only stared.

"Come on. It's the one time offer. The only such opportunity you'll ever have. My dear Young Master."

"_Quiet calling me that_" Albert remembered his employer's words.

Ciel snapped.

"On your knees!" he shouted, leaping down the bed. "Look at me!" he ordered, while violently tugging at raven hair over the forehead of his ex-butler.

The man complied without any protest, as he said he would.

Then the punishing hand rose, approached and finally reached its goal with the loud 'smack', leaving the red mark and the trail of blood on that not-so-perfect anymore face. Albert was shocked, so much that for a moment there he forgot how to breathe. Never has he seen his master so emotional, so fragile, so _human_. Young Earl was undeniably in a strength position right now and yet he seemed so weak. Shaking, breathing hard, with gritted teeth. Like he would break any moment.

The facial expression of his former servant was even stranger. His eyelids had fallen shut, face immersed in some twisted ecstasy, all body loose and passive, at the mercy of his master.

"You..." Ciel spoke, his voice shaking "you think I'll forgive you? You think I'll forgive you just like that?"

His ex-butler slowly opened his eyes, face once again decorated with that viciously polite smile of his.

"I don't seek forgiveness. Just satisfaction of my own selfish desires. I assumed you've already known that by now."

The Earl of Phantomhive gasped. Then he secured his grip on the man's blue-black hair and drew his face closer.

"Yes, I should have known that. What are those desires is what I cannot grasp. In the past I had thought I know them pretty well but it turned out that I was wrong. Or is the thing you want still the same? Do you desire your prize? Do you seriously think that you still have any rights to something you forsaken once?"

Silence was his only answer.

Ciel released his grasp roughly.

"Out of my sight. Now" he commanded in a cold, lifeless voice and turned his back to the man who was still on his knees.

The man stared at the boy for a while, then suddenly stood up, walked up the window, flung it open with a great force and disappeared behind it, everything without a single word.

At the bang of the window-frame hitting the wall (it's a miracle it didn't break) Albert woke up from his trance. He ran up the window and looked outside.

"What the devil...? It's the second floor..."

The raven-haired man was nowhere to be seen.

Ciel started laughing.

"What are you laughing at, My Lord?" Alfred asked, puzzled.

Ciel heaved a sight.

"It isn't important. You won't get the joke anyway." He combed through his hair, desperately trying to calm down a little. "I think I need a drink."

"My Lord, it's late and I don't think that's a very good..." Albert tried recover his butler's aesthetics and failed.

"Shut up" The Earl cut him short, exited the room and headed for his study where the cocktail cabinet was. His butler followed him hesitantly.

Ciel grabbed a bottle of brandy and tried to pour himself a drink.

"Your Lordship..."

Ciel put away the bottle and hung down his head. Alfred couldn't seen his face and in real earnest right now he didn't want to.

"You do it. It looks as if my hands shake too much."

"Yes, My Lord" he complied. After he was done, he put the drink on the desk, before his master, or rather behind him (his armchair was turned to face the window) and was about to leave quietly.

"How dare he" he heard his master mutter angrily. "That bastard, how dare he."

Albert stopped at the door. He heard a quiet laughter.

"Of course he dares. Just who do you think he is."

Apparently Lord Ciel was talking to himself, not the strangest thing that happened tonight. Nothing to worry about at the moment, but...

"My Lord..."

"Leave."

Albert closed the door behind himself, leaving his master alone with his thoughts.

There was quite a few things he wanted to think through himself, and many feelings he had to sort out.

At least he had met _that_ Sebastian. And he had no idea what to think about him. For sure he wasn't the person Albert expected him to be. He came from the family of butlers, he thought he had known how a perfect butler should be like. And Sebastian certainly wasn't like he imagined him to be. Quiet and calm, dependable and trustworthy, an invisible shadow, fulfilling his master wishes without a word of protest, even before they were voiced. The man he just met was insolent and impudent, he was violent, he was doing something bad to Lord Ciel (something very, very bad, in fact unforgivable) when Alfred entered the bedroom and on top of that the damn man filled the space with his presence, as if he was the main actor in a play. And he wasn't, a butler never should be.

In truth every little detail about that bastard annoyed Albert beyond reason. Not only because of Alfred's aesthetics and personal beliefs but because Lord Ciel... to Lord Ciel, he...

He knew he will not sleep tonight so he just started cleaning the mansion randomly, with his anger fuelling him.

Two hours later he remembered he should check on Lord Ciel. He went to the study and found his master asleep in the armchair, with the empty glass fallen on the floor.

"You shouldn't sleep like that, you'll catch a cold, My Lord" he muttered in low voice and lifted up Ciel in bridal style. The boy mumbled something incomprehensible, in his sleep making himself comfortable in his butler's arms.

"We're going to bed" Albert answered him and blushed lightly, as his words had another meaning and he didn't intend to... Well he actually did a bit but still...

He shook his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and carried away his precious Lord Ciel, not noticing that from behind window a pair of red eyes was staring at him, emanating with malignant killing intent.


	9. Unexpected guests

**A/N:**

I'm happy that you liked Albert, whenever I create on OC I'm always worried that it may not work well with the story. But I needed another butler, a _replacement_, to make Sebastian feel bad. And yesss, Sebby's sooo jealoussss XDDDD

**Warning**: Extra short!!! Not my fault, it just happened! Don't kill me! It's just something to fill up the hole between the previous chapter and the next one. The next one will be better. I promise!

**Ciel:** This time it will be short because that idiotic author of this fic isn't here at the moment.

**Sebastian:** She went to make herself a tea. She wanted me to make it but I was self-assertive and said 'NO'.

**Ciel:** Good job, Sebastian. Now do it, before she returns.

**Sebastian:**

**DISCLAIMER**

**She is NOT my master and thus she have to make her own tea.**

**9. Unexpected guests**

The next morning after the unexpected nightly incident was awkward in a strange way – it was awkward exactly because it was so normal that it was almost painful. Before Alfred entered his master's room with the morning tea he felt uneasy, and was turning over in his mind countless possible non-awkward ways to approach Ciel but, surprisingly, His Lordship greeted him as if nothing happened at all. It's a good thing, the butler kept repeating silently in his head, as if he tried to reassure himself. But somehow it wasn't right. He'd known Ciel for a while, and known him quite well, as he liked to think, and that knowledge prompted him that in this case one genuine tantrum would have been much better than silence and avoidance. On the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to touch up on the matter, so he played along.

Damn him, he have to say something!

"By the way, the letter from the Queen arrived at night" he stated, cautiously trying to bring up the touchy subject while pouring his master a second cup of tea.

"I see" Ciel completely ignored his efforts. "Did the messenger said anything?"

"No. Only that it's very urgent and important."

Alfred half expected to hear "then why didn't you show it to me right away" but nothing like that come. Indifferent "A usual" was his only answer and then there was awkward (again) silence while His Lordship was reading. It ended suddenly with his master's trademark "tshe".

"Is something the matter, My Lord?" Alfred asked.

"No, nothing" Ciel's voice was moistened with sarcasm. "Absolutely nothing. We will only be having a guest for dinner, and it's a mere foreign prince. Today. A bit early for a dinner if someone had asked me, at 2pm I mean, in seven hours from now. Whole seven hours. Plenty of time to prepare, don't you think so too?"

Alfred felt his knees weaken.

"A-a prince? Seven hours!?"

"I see you are as overjoyed as I am. Who wouldn't be? After all it's a request from Her Majesty, may she live long and prosper. And we are but her humble servants."

As to be expected, those seven hours were a mess. At least from Alfred's point of view. This wasn't the first time that Her Majesty had given an unreasonable order and he liked to think he was used to it, but still preparing a seven-dish meal (while attending to his usual duties as well) in seven hours was barely within the range of his capabilities. On top of that "the request" wasn't as simple as to feed the guest. Apparently there was more to it. A lot more.

After all it wasn't the Queen's watchdog's duty to feed random people.

_There is always more to it_, Albert heaved a sight and placed roast veal with asparagus and tomatoes in the oven. Uh, six more to go.

Oh, wait, there is the dessert too, don't _**ever**_ forget the dessert. And appetizers. And side dishes... (he felt like crying).

_Just what is it this time_, he wandered, just to take his thoughts out of horrendous amount of work piled up in front of him. What can Her Majesty possibly want from Lord Ciel? First, it requires a face-to-face meeting, and with Ciel of all people. As loyal butler as he was, he couldn't avoid admitting one thing: Ciel's best and absolutely unfailing quality was that he annoyed the hell out of most people. So much that they had the tendency to become careless. His second (oh God, Lord Ciel would have killed him if he heard this, the order of this list was so much off) best quality was his sharp intelligence and his ability to pursue every lead he found significant. That's why they called him _the watchdog_ in the first place.

In sum, it was most likely that Her Majesty wanted Ciel to find out something his guest was hiding well enough that other people (her spies included) couldn't, and deal with it.

After all, Lord Ciel's main duty consisted in dealing with things.

And Alfred was the sword which inflicted most of the deadly wounds on his master's victims. He didn't mind being used as a tool as long as Lord Ciel was safe and happy (that's if happiness in Ciel's case was even possible, lets just leave it as a metaphor) and usually obeyed every order he was given. But there were cases when he felt obliged to say 'no', for example when his master wanted to do something that endanger his life. This time too the feeling in his gut was telling him that this will transform into one of those cases. The incident at night surely wasn't a good omen, was it?

When a quarter before 2pm he opened the mansion door and froze, staring at the faces of the two people standing before him, while he was sinking deeper and deeper into the state of pure shock, an unexpected thought crossed his mind.

He should have become a clairvoyant instead of a butler.

"Good afternoon, it appears that my master, His Highnes, Carlo Alberto Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy-Genoa, The Royal Prince of Italy, was invited by The Earl of Phantomhive to dinner" said Sebastian Michaelis, smiling at Albert's petrified figure from ear to ear.


	10. That Victim, Still Having Delusions

**A/N:**

It took me a while (my inspiration just wasn't there) but here it is. The fateful encounter, the first battle: butler vs butler, master vs master. Who will win? Is it even a matter of winning or losing anymore? Let's find out...

Carlo is a fictional character, though his family isn't.

**Me: **Sabastian, Ciel, do it.

**Sebastian & Ciel: **But we don't want to.

**Me:** Do. It. Now.

**Ciel:** But we really, really don't want to.

**Sebastian: **(is muttering) Well, I actually kind of want to but I can't say it out loud...

**Me: **Resistance is futile. I won the bet.

**Ciel: **I'm sure you were cheating.

**Me: **I weren't! (is feeling guilty because she indeed was) You can't accuse me of that! I'm a good, honest person! Besides, you have no proof~

**Sebastian:** (is muttering) You'll go to hell.

**Me: **(in a low voice) Will I meet you there~?

**Sebastian:** (with sudden conviction) You're indeed a good, honest human being. One can say you're almost a saint. How can anyone doubt you? And there's **ABSOLUTELY NO WAY** you'll go anywhere near hell. (is whispering in my ear) Abandon all hope~ XP

**Ciel: **(is suspicious) What are you two...

**Sebastian: **Young Master, we should do it. After all she won the bet. It is only fair that we obey.

**Ciel:** … Fine. Have it your way.

**Sebastian & Ciel:**

**DISCLAIMER**

**She doesn't own us. Nor anything from Kuroshitsuji manga & anime. She has no rights to it whatsoever. And she's never going to have. NEVER EVER. Not even in a million years. Not even if hell freezes over... Not even if...**

**Me:** (is crying massively) Whaaaaaa youuuuuuu... Nod like daaaaaad...! Sdooooop daaaaad... You're sooooooo cruuuuuuel... TTTTT^TTTTT

**Ciel:** Why so unhappy? You won the bet.

**Sebastian: **You did.

** Victim, Still Having Delusions**

It wasn't that Carlo had no idea why he was indirectly obliged to visit this place, he knew perfectly well what and when he did wrong. It was only important that other people didn't. Oh well, even if they did, there were means of dealing with it. Even this Earl of Phantomhive couldn't do anything about the simple fact that current Carlo was unbeatable. It's true that he heard rumours about The Earl, faint rumours, murmured in a low voices in the corners of ballrooms he sometimes attended. The person he was meeting today was supposed to be dangerous, he giggled inwardly. We're yet to see about who's dangerous and who's not.

Bay the way, he thought, what is with this servant? He's kept glaring at them for some time now. How rude.

"Akhem" His Highness tried to emphasize his existence.

"I-I'm sorry" the rude servant stammered out. "His Lordship is waiting for you. If you please follow me."

"Hmph. No manners at all" the Prince muttered. Deep red blush on the servant's face told him that the idiot heard. Very good.

"Lets finish this quickly" he addressed _the thing_ walking beside him.

"As Your Highness wishes" _the thing_ answered him. As always, hearing its voice gave him the creeps.

They walked through the hall. Nice mansion this Earl has, Carlo had to admit that. The quality of paintings on the walls spoke for itself. He was an Italian and thus he was able to appreciate the true value of art. Not to mention rich materials everything was made up with or the careful arrangement. Indeed, The Earl of Phantomhive has settled only for the best.

That is, except the servants.

"KYAAA!!!" screamed one of The Earl's staff-members, lost a hold of one hundred and something plates she was carrying and screamed "KYAAA!!!" once again short before the plates hit the ground inches from Carlo's precious feet. After that she stared at them for a long moment through unbelievably thick glasses.

And then she lost consciousness.

Carlo blinked.

"What the hell is wrong with this place!?"

He heard faint giggle from behind, but when he turned around there was only an usual smirk on _that thing's_ face.

"Please forgive her" finally the butler of the house regained his ability to speak. "She's a bit clumsy."

"A bit. Yes, I surely can see that."

"Yes, indeed. A bit. This way, please."

Carlo blinked once again. The butler passed by poor maid's corpse-like looking body not spearing it a second glance.

Were random maids dropping unconscious before guests' very feet a common occurrence here?

Then there was this cute blond boy, who ran away with a scream at the very second he'd seen them, destroying every piece of furniture on his way. Again, the Phantomhive's butler paid no heed to him. As if the boy was invisible or something.

Next was the cook. Or rather Carlo assumed it was the cook, that is he was wearing the uniform of a cook.

Welder's goggles were another matter altogether.

When they passed by him, his cigarette dropped out of his open mouth and started a small fire on the carpet. He too was staring as if he's seen a ghost. Mainly at _that thing_. Again.

"What's with those people?! Their reactions are strange. Do they know you?" Carlo asked.

"Well no, they don't know me at all. Maybe I just look like someone" his servant answered him.

He wasn't lying. Technically.

After looking at _that thing's_ wide smile Carlo gulped and let the matter slide. Just for now.

"This way, please" the servant announced and lead them to the dining room. At the first look it was empty, that is aside from the big table set for two. There was someone in there, though. Facing the window there stood a boy, age approximately fifteen, so completely motionless that he resembled a stone statue of a perfect young noble.

From the distance Carlo wasn't able to see how tight was the boy's grip on his cane.

The window was facing the main gate and the carriage they arrived with was completely visible from there.

"Welcome in my house, Your Highness" the boy greeted while slowly turning around. The sun's rays were surrounding his face, bathing it in almost unreal glow. In the light his hair looked greyish blue and almost sparkled, outshone only by the deep sea of his left eye. The right one was covered with an eye-patch, what a shame. To have the full pair of such eyes to gaze upon (teary with pain for example), what a pleasure it could be. But still even that eye-patch suited him strangely well, as if it belonged there.

Plus, that firm posture, those long, slender legs (despite short height), slim hips and waist. And the butt. Yes, the butt was definitely the best.

Carlo fell in love at first sight.

That was probably the reason why he didn't heard two sharp intakes of breath from behind him.

"What's the matter? Did cat got your tongue?" cold but deep voice brought him down to earth. Such a voice...

"Oooh? So you are the famous Earl of Phantomhive? I apologise, I was just a bit... surprised. You are younger than I thought you'll be."

"I hear that a lot. For years now" answered the Earl with a smirk. He eyed Carlo coldly, as if estimating his potential value as an opponent. His eye not even once strayed from the Prince's figure, not even once it wandered off to the place behind Italian's left shoulder, as if there was absolutely nothing there. A hole in reality.

Carlo felt the atmosphere was incredibly tense for some reason.

"Well, in that case, lets consider the formal introduction done" the Earl interrupted the silence. "Come then , let us sit down to table."

The dinner was good, maybe that cook with the goggles wasn't that bad after all. The conversation was rather absorbing too. The boy was surprisingly knowledgeable about subjects kid's his age aren't usually interested in. With every minute Carlo liked him more and more. He wasn't showing it, though. Years spent on Italian court, under the eyes of royal family members observing his every move, taught him well how to restrain himself. He came here because the queen of this country politely "suggested" him to, plus in front of him was sitting The Earl of Phantomhive, a very dangerous dog of her, even though at the moment he was wearing the skin of a small, cute lamb. It wasn't time to play. Not yet.

Let us then end this farce fast so we can quickly pass to the funnier parts.

"Well then. The food's great and weather's fine so lets just come down to business. Why exactly was I summoned here?" Carlo asked bluntly.

"Summoned?" the boy raised an eyebrow. It was now the dessert time and he seemed really engulfed in it. For Carlo too seeing small mouthfuls of white whipped cream repeatedly disappearing between the pink, moist lips sure was distracting.

"Well, more like _ordered_ to come. Your Queen wasn't exactly giving me a choice."

The Earl lifted his eyes from the cake he was eating and smiled slyly.

"Try guessing."

Italian Prince's patience was slowly running out.

"Excuse my ignorance but I have absolutely no idea why I have to visit some brat confining himself on the countryside while I can have so much more fun playing in the capital" he answered, using overly polite tone and with an equally polite smile on his face.

At the word "brat" the Earl visibly flinched. Someone leading such a demanding life at his age must have heard it a lot.

"I bet you do" the boy quickly composed himself.

"No, I'm afraid I don't" Carlo intended to play a fool to the end. After all he was rather confident in measures he took to cover his crimes. There could be no proof. Not with _that thing_ watching his back. "So maybe _you_ try to explain that to this ignorant me?"

"The reason is simple. Her Majesty has some serious doubts about you. I am but a fan she uses to dispel her doubts."

"And may I know what doubts those are? Is it about the rumour that I was accused of assassinating my older brother and trying to take his position as the next king, and how after I failed I fled the country?" Italian royal Prince asked, nonchalantly waving his hand as if he was saying "so what if I did".

The Earl giggled.

"Well, honestly speaking, she doesn't give a damn about your failed coup d'etat. All the more I don't. You see, foreign affairs aren't my speciality. My job is to catch the rats causing trouble _inside_ the Queen's granary. So try asking yourself this 'what have I done inside the borders of this country that may have induced it's Queen displeasure?'"

Carlo shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, but I haven't done anything."

"Are you sure?" the Earl persistently asked again, touching his lower lip with a finger.

Carlo's eyes involuntarily followed the move. He quickly lifted his eyes and looked the Earl straight into the eyes.

"Of course" he assured with conviction.

They stared at each other for a while.

Prince's eyes wandered off again.

"Just now you thought '_I'll play nicely for the time being and come back later and then have my way with him_', didn't you?" the Earl said suddenly.

Carlo blinked.

The brat was spot on.

"I have no idea what could you mean by that" the Italian tried to erase any traces of surprise from his face. With poor effects.

"Oooh? Are you sure?" the Earl was evidently mocking him.

"Honestly, that question again..." Carlo masked his uneasiness with a smile. Really, that kid was good. He knew how to use words and where to strike to cause the greatest damage.

"It can't be helped. Considering all the rumours..." the boy was teasing him further.

Damn brat.

"What rumours?"

"You see, my dear Prince, soon after you entered this country there has been a series of unpleasant incidents happening to young sons of noble families."

Carlo's heart speeded up a bit. So it was about _that_ after all. Annoying. Annoying but still interesting. For a moment he almost forgot he was supposed to be unbeatable. How ridiculous.

He almost laughed.

"Oh? And what incidents _exactly_ do you have in mind, if I may ask?"

The Earl didn't seemed to be thrown off the balance by his unwavering self-confidence.

"Apparently someone had a... sexual intercourse with them" he continued "in a manner that is pursued by law even if it's done voluntarily. Fortunately, poor boys have no recollection of the events whatsoever. Fortunately for them but unfortunately for those who try to catch the culprit. At first I had thought that there is some new drag responsible for them loosing their memories and pursued this lead, but I see now that that was a dead end. By the way, what a useful _thing_, such memory eraser. There is no witnesses to worry about. Very convenient. To have so much _luck_ in one's hands. It almost as if the culprit was _blessed_" for some reason the last word was spat like some really bad tasting thing.

"Oh indeed, it seems this 'culprit' of yours is a very lucky man" Carlo knew something was escaping him but played along.

"And yet, it appears that the goddess of fortune is on the side of law this time. Or perhaps the perpetrator is simply stupid..."

Carlo gasped with indignation, knowing already from the start who was this "perpetrator" the Earl was talking about.

He heard a faint giggle from behind.

He didn't dare to look back.

"...thus he targeted the same victim repeatedly and was seen by a third person" the Earl continued with a smirk. "This stupid perpetrator, guess who it was?"

There was the silence.

"You... you don't have any solid evidence!" Carlo, despite his unbeatableness, was still a bit shaken.

"And that's the first out of two reasons why you're here now and not in the Tower" the Earl wasn't shaken at all. He was clearly on top of the game and it appeared he was very used to winning.

_Or so the damn brat thinks. He has no idea that in every game one can cheat._

Italian pulled himself together.

"The first... Pardon curiosity, but what is the second reason then?"

"The second reason is that you are a royal prince of Italy, and even if you caused trouble in your own country, you are still an important figure. Her Majesty doesn't like scandals. That is why I was told to solve this problem quietly."

So it was going to be like that. Carlo felt that he was back on familiar ground. Everywhere in the world they dealt with this scandal inducing matters in a similar way.

"'_To solve this problem quietly_'. Ha ha! Such pretty words to call a mere blackmail or bribery!" he laughed.

The evil grin on the Earl's face was the proof that (aside from the cheating) this game had rules he's never heard about. The Italian barely had the time to think that before the boy sprung from his chair, in the blink of an eye crossed the room and put a gun to his head.

"Bribery? What bribery? I have no intention to bribe you. Or to blackmail you. Or threaten. '_To solve this problem quietly_' simply means I have to kill you and bury the corpse where no one can find it."

**A/N:**

**If anyone's interested:**

"_Cat got your tongue_? - why are you not talking?/have you nothing to say? - there is no generally agreed origin among etymologists for this, although there does seem to be a broad view that the expression came into popular use in the 1800's, and first appeared in print in 1911. In my view the most logical explanation is that it relates to the 'cat-o-nine-tails' whip used in olden days maritime punishments, in which it is easy to imagine that the victim would be rendered incapable of speech or insolence. A less likely, but no less dramatic suggested origin, is that it comes from the supposed ancient traditional middle-eastern practice of removing the tongues of liars and feeding them to cats."

**Quoted from:** (.?requestId=1008382)


	11. Facing Annoying Familiarity

**A/N:**

This chapter wasn't planned. It was supposed to be the other half of the 10th. Hence the strange extension of the title (I don't know how it happened, it just did).

I know Carlo's "crime" is rather banal. This kind of plot was used in fanfictions countless times already. In spite of that I couldn't stop myself. Ciel is such a pervert magnet...

**Me: **Oh my, if it isn't Grell. Welcome, welcome. How do you feel about your first appearance in this story?

**Grell: **To tell you the truth, I really don't know. After all I haven't appeared even once yet (^___^x)

**Me: **Such reprehensible negligence, isn't it, te-heee~

**Grell:** … You don't look exactly apologetic, you know...

**Me: **Te-heee~ That is only because I don't like you~

**Grell: ** How... how dare you... To not like such a fine lady like myself... Despicable! I'll make you regret this! (is turning his chain saw on)

**Me: **Whaaaa! Sebastiaaan! Help me!

**Sebastian** : Say the magic words.

**Grell: ** Hahaha!(is drawing near)

**Me: **(is totally confused) …the hell... What magic words!?

**Sebastian:** Come on. Everyone knows them.

**Grell: ** Hihihi! (is drawing even nearer)

**Me: **(is scared shitless and entirely clueless) "Pretty please...?"

**Sebastian: **Bzzzz, incorrect.

**Grell:** Hehehe! (is about to get me)

**Me:** (is thinking really hard) "I beg you, oh my great and only master?"

**Sebastian: **Bzzzz, incorrect again. I like it, though.

**Grell:** BUAHAHAHA! (is finally getting me – only a bit, but it's still painful, chain saw is no joke)

**Me: ** (is experiencing the serious case of sudden and unexpected brainwave, caused probably by pain and near-death experience)

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I d-don't own! Really! I mean it!! Whaaaa!! Sebaaaastian!!! Hurry!!!!!!!**

**Sebastian:** (is beating Grell, very eagerly, mostly in the face)

**Me: **Uhhh, that was close... I almost had my leg cut off. I'm in pain and I'm bleeding. And look at my jeans! All ruined, and they're my favourite... T__T

**Sebastian:** If you (kick) weren't (whack) that slow (stab, stab), it wouldn't have come to this. Next time (kick, kick, bang, whack, whack, whack) do it faster!

* * *

**11. That Master, Facing Annoying Familiarity**

_Reality is like Muay Thai fighter – _

_tends to hit you in the face. _

_With a knee._

_What an eyesore_, the Earl thought, looking into the eyes of the current master of _his_ demon. There was so much _fear_ in those eyes, so much uneasiness, so much precariousness. It made him sick.

What a _trash. _

"Great job, kid" that idiot dared to say. "But I have one more trump card you haven't foreseen yet" he stated conceitedly. "Well I..."

"You mean him?" Ciel interrupted and pointed at the demon (still not looking at him).

Carlo seemed a bit confused.

"Oh may, you sure are smart, boy. But guess what, your smartness won't do you any good today. He can stop you any time. You can not believe me" he giggled "but he can even stop the bullet. Even on this distance. Really" he assured.

The Earl squinted his eyes. He felt irritated. God (he knew he shouldn't call His name, but still he did it again out of linguistic habit) he felt so irritated that he almost pulled the trigger. He remembered the similar situation with the Italian Mafia leader back in the days he and Sebastian were still together. He gritted his teeth.

_Of course he can._

"Of course he can" Ciel repeated out loud.

Carlo's eyes widened.

The Earl smirked.

"But only if _you_ can order him to" he said and as quick as a thought he grabbed a piece of pie from the table and stuffed it deep into the Prince's wide open mouth.

"Isn't that right?" he asked, for the first time turning to the person quietly standing behind the Italian's back.

The hole in reality was suddenly filled.

Their eyes met.

The faithful encounter, so painful.

"Well it is" Sebastian smiled overly happily, after staring into his former master's single eye for a long moment. His gaze was firm and calm. And fake.

So damn annoying.

_What in bloody hell is he thinking_, Ciel wondered not so calmly, _coming here after all this, accompanied by that _trash_, as if nothing happened_!?

Those red eyes was mocking him.

As always.

His body tensed. The index finger on the trigger trembled.

He tore his eyes away from that hateful (fateful) face and stared at the pathetic man sitting in front of him. Thirty-something years old, tiny wrinkles in the corners of his eyes arranging themselves in the shape of arrogance and conceit, narrow lips giving evidence to his ruthlessness, cold, watery-blue eyes, marked by cruelty but not determination.

Annoying.

Vexing.

Excruciating.

He wanted to pull the trigger so badly.

He restrained himself.

"Oh may, how stupid of you to not state the phrase '_protect me at all costs_' in the contract" he muttered in a low but at the same time playful voice. He had taken a gamble here and won.

That stupid foreign Prince didn't hear his words.

Ciel felt almost tangible change in the atmosphere. The so well known amusement mixed with the air.

The demon did.

_I hate you so much._

Ciel pulled the trigger.

"BANG!" reverberated in the dining-room. The source wasn't the gun. The scary sound was born within the Earl's throat, passed by his small pink tongue, escaped through the gate of his teeth, and then, finally, come to life between his lips.

The gun wasn't loaded from the very beginning.

Even so Carlo almost pissed himself.

Ciel turned around, walked to his place at the table and sat down as if nothing happened.

"My Lord! You should have just...!" Albert yelled, surprised and angry and for some reason frightened. His voice startled Ciel.

He almost forgot about his current butler's existence.

What a sorry excuse for a master he was.

"Easy, Albert, calm down or you'll have a heart attack. It will be a shame to die at such a young age" he said, avoiding looking at his servants, both current and former one.

He felt Sebastian's smirk as if it was burned-out on his skin.

So irritating.

The feeling so familiar.

So hateful.

Desired...

"Then _I_ will..." the butler wasn't giving up. He reached out for the gun. He knew something was about to happen, probably something very bad. The silence and stillness in the room was heavy, like a lull before the storm which was going to tear apart his world.

"No, Albert" the Earl denied him the chance to prevent the calamity from happening.

"But why...?" the servant wanted to know.

The Earl of Phantomhive gave him one of his rare honest (evil) smiles.

"I just feel like playing a game today."

Albert was rendered speechless.

"Now leave" His Lordship ordered. He felt that no matter what will happen from now on, he can't let Albert see it.

"But..."

No matter what.

"LEAVE."

Albert gritted his teeth. He tried to stare at Ciel firmly but soon lowered his eyes. The Earl, even though he was merely sixteen year old kid, had never lost to him at the game of staring, not even once. Today wasn't going to be any different. Or maybe it was – the Earl's gaze was more intense, more fierce, more hot than ever.

Albert was beaten.

He put the gun down and, without a word, left the room.

"This... This was your biggest mistake, kid" after chocking on the pie for a while, Carlo was able to speak again.

"Oh really?" the Earl asked without interest. He was looking at the door.

He knew he hurt Albert's feelings but he couldn't help it. As a master he was obliged to protect his people from unnecessary danger and he always believed that protecting them from knowing too much was one of the ways to achieve that. Still, not having anyone to confide in was hard.

That is, besides _that demon_.

In the past.

He winced.

Remembering it wasn't going to help much, quite the contrary.

"You'll... you'll pay for this! Cough...cough..." the fear in Carlo was beginning to convert into blazing anger.

No one was going to mess with him!

No one!

"Sebastian. Seize him!" he ordered.

Once again the demon and the Earl communicated using only the eyes. It felt strangely familiar to "talk" like that, omitting the words which could hurt and deceive.

After what happened it was so wrong to understand each other this way.

Yet it felt so right.

Sebastian walked to Ciel's side and stood by him.

Yes, that was how it supposed to be.

_Damn contract, damn demon, damn it all!_

"What the hell are you doing?! I told you to seize him!" Carlo clearly didn't know what was going on and was close to flying into a rage.

"So I did" the demon said, faking surprise. "He can't attack. He can't defend himself. He can't escape. He can't do anything. I assure you."

Well, Ciel though, Sebastian was always good at mocking people. Although his master had changed (stab), his personality hadn't.

_Damn it, this idiot._

Oh well, whatever. Lets just play along.

Wasn't it exactly what he had asked for?

A game.

"Uh-um, uh-um. I feel seized. Really" he waved his hand flippantly.

From the corner of his eye he though he saw the usual, amused and slightly excited smile on Sebastian's face.

It must have been a hallucination.

He knew it wasn't.

So. Damn. Annoying.

But it appeared Carlo was at least as much annoyed as the Earl. He was counting his breaths, muttering something which sounded strangely similar to the phrase "_this brat!_", or "_this bastard_", Ciel wasn't sure.

"I guess you didn't quite comprehend the situation you're in" the Prince said after calming down a bit. He tried to talk in playful, self-confident tone once again. "You see, this man standing beside you isn't a man at all. He's a demon."

Ciel was examining his fingernails with rather bored expression. Despite everything, this situation was beginning to amuse him quite a lot.

"Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow.

Carlo was, once again, rendered speechless.

Something was terribly wrong with this situation.

"You don't believe me?" he asked hesitantly. Just now he had told this boy that scary, supernatural things indeed _do_ exist, plus that one of the most frightening of them all is standing right beside him and the damn kid didn't even flinch. Was it a joke? Was he dreaming? Or was the famous Earl of Phantomhive simply poor in the head!?

Or was it Carlo?

"I do believe you" Ciel interrupted the Prince's thoughts, startling him.

"Eh? But you don't seem to appreciate the news properly. You're not even surprised." Carlo was definitely surprised.

Ciel almost pitied him, this poor idiot who imagined that after signing a contract with a demon everything will go well and easy.

Lets shatter that vain dream.

"Maybe because I knew all along?"

Carlo blinked.

"Oh, I see... WHAT?!"

"Young Master sure have a long tongue" a velvet voice soaked with amusement sounded from behind Ciel's shoulder, sending warm prickly shivers down his spin. "While I wanted to have fun a little longer."

The Italian, for the first time from the beginning of the conversation, turned slightly to look directly at the demon's inhumanly handsome face.

"Wait, '_Young Master_'!? What '_Young Master_'!?" he yelled. "Why did you called him that? You know him? I see now. From the moment I entered this cursed house I knew something was off with you!" he sprang to his feet and pointed accusing finger at Sebastian. "Oh, forget it! I am your master, you monster, look at it!" he rolled his right sleeve. Engraved into his forearm was the cursed seal. "It's a proof! You have to do what I order you to do!" he demanded.

"Oooh?" was the only answer he got from the boy. Who, despite the situation, seemed to be in an unexpectedly good mood. Or rather he desperately tried to appear that way, seeing Sebastian's seal on another man enraged him to the point of breaking. His knuckles, clutched on the edge of the table, were as white as snow.

Fortunately Carlo wasn't accustomed to reading Ciel's moods.

Sebastian was.

The atmosphere tensed even more.

"Now hold him still" the Prince ordered.

Ciel felt slim fingers under his arms and was literally lifted up from the chair. The strong arms enveloped him in tandem with soothing his overly sensitive senses scent of _Sebastian_.

Before he could restrain himself he relaxed into those arms. He couldn't help it, the feeling was too pleasant, too familiar. He heard soft giggle from behind. He blushed and tried to at least make some distance between their bodies, since he was incapable of freeing himself.

In vain.

Meanwhile Carlo, utterly clueless about the Earl's fruitless struggles, came closer and scanned Ciel's slender figure with a hunger in his eyes. He laughed triumphantly.

"You see, it's clearly my win, you can do _nothing_, nothing at all. Now I'm going to claim the prize~" he stated happily. The kid had given him so much trouble, now he was going to use this fine body to vent out all of his frustration.

His hand, extended to touch the boy's neck, was slapped away. By the demon.

"Why... you..."

"Oh may" Ciel laughed darkly. "Sebastian, did you just disobeyed an order? I always knew you had it in you" he added in sarcastic tone.

"But Young Master, he only told me to hold you still. Which means I haven't disobeyed" the demon explained. "Yet."

"Hold him still and don't dare to interfere!" exclaimed the Prince. He tried to touch Ciel again.

The same situation repeated itself.

"Now you did it" pointed out the Earl. He was still incredibly angry at Sebastian, still irritated, but at the same time he felt strangely light-headed, as if this wasn't real. He was afraid that soon he will start laughing hysterically. Or crying. Or both.

"But he didn't said '_that's an order_'. Which means I still haven't."

Seriously, Sebastian was the best.

"You are one sly bastard" the boy remarked with a crooked smile.

Carlo was approaching his breaking point.

"DAMN YOU, THAT WAS AN ORDER!"

Sebastian froze, then smirked.

And then swiftly removed his Young Master out of Carlo's reach.

This time Ciel laughed for real.

"And what is it _this_ time?" the boy drew a deep breath and asked, a bit curious.

"He didn't stated the time when I should carry this order out" Sebastian explained the obvious.

Ciel burst out laughing once again.

Carlo's mouth fell open. It appeared he didn't know what was going on anymore.

"Y-you... You have to do what I tell you!!!"

"No, he doesn't" Ciel disagreed after calming down a bit. _What a sick situation_, some detached part of him thought, _and I'm actually enjoying it... And why the hell is this bastard hugging me so tightly!? I can feel his breath on my neck and his hair on my cheek, damn it! Stop blushing, you idiot!_ he commanded himself. "But that's a common misunderstanding" he continued out loud. "He only has to do what is stated in a contract, plus what you _directly_ order him to do. On top of that he's free to twist your words any way he likes it. Damn, he doesn't even have to obey a _direct_ order if his previous orders still hold or if he regards them as having "higher priority". There is so many ways around an order it can make someone sick. That's why _the will_ is essential to make a contracted demon obey an order without loudly and clearly stating every single detail."

"Oh my my" the demon interrupted, rubbing his cheek against Ciel's. The boy tried to turn away from the touch but he couldn't. "Young Master, stop teaching this _trash_ useless things."

"Why? I think this knowledge is very useful (stop that!). Besides, whatever I tell him now it won't change a thing (I told you to stop!). He still doesn't have _the will_ we're talking about (idiot!). To tell the truth, I never would have thought you will sign a contract with such a pathetic master."

Ciel could feel Sebastian's genuine smirk with his whole body.

"I beg your pardon? What master? He's food. I've only had a master once."


End file.
